The 8th batch of the re-integration of low risk and minors of 560 repentant Boko Haram Militants have commenced training in Maiduguri, Borno State, North-East Nigeria.
The essence of the training is to prepare them for life after camp.
The re-integration training will be on between 6 and 9 months.
According to Brigadier General Abdullah Ishaq retired, who is the Borno State Special Adviser on Security Affairs, the trainees will be introduced to trades on different skills, before they are finally taken back to their respective communities.
He says they will be receiving lectures for 2 weeks from academicians, the police, the National Orientation Agency, religious leaders and other relevant sectors of the society.
They will also receive Starter packs at the end of the programme, before being returned to their communities who had screened them for the training.
General Ishaq Said “This is the 8th batch, we have earlier done 1st-7th of which gave us 7,930 plus this number we have 560 that will be leaving by next week. Out of the 7,930, we have not received any negative report from anybody.”
My message has always been, as soon as they get back to the community, they should be involved in whatever activities the community is doing, be it Naming Ceremonies, Burials, Jumat prayers, they should all work together.”
Within the 3 years of the programme, so much has been achieved, in terms of people returning to farm, and the general gradual return of peace.